Hinglaj Mata Temple, Lasbela

Hinglaj Mata Mandir is a famous ‘shakti peetha’ of Goddess Sati. The cave temple is situated on the Hingol River Banks in Hinglaj, a town on the Makran coast in the Lasbela district of Balochistan. It is about 250 kilometres (160 mi) to the north-west of Karachi.

Hinglaj Yatra is the largest Hindu pilgrimage in Pakistan. More than 40,000 people take part in the Hinglaj Yathra during the spring.

Hindus believe that the head of goddess Sati had fallen in the area of Hinglaj Mata and since then, it has remained a revered pilgrimage site for Hindus.

There is no man-made image of the goddess. A small shapeless stone is worshiped as Hinglaj Mata. Hinglaj Mata is said to be very powerful deity who bestows good to all her devotees.

According to Hindu mythology, Lord Vishnu cut up the dead body of Sati into 50 pieces, which fell to the earth. Her head, it is believed, fell at Hinglaj and it has since been the site for a revered pilgrimage.

So Hinglaj is her main temple, while temples dedicated to her exist in neighboring Indian states Gujarat and Rajasthan.

The local Muslims also hold Hinglaj Mata in reverence and provide security to the shrine. They call the temple as the “Nani Mandir” (lit. “maternal grandmother’s temple”). The goddess is herself called Bibi Nani (respected maternal grandmother).